zeszyty naukowe uniwersytetu szczecińskiego

SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL
No. 499
SERVICE MANAGEMENT vol. 3
2008
AGNIESZKA SMALEC
University of Szczecin
THE MEANING OF PARTNERSHIP IN REGION MANAGEMENT
Introduction
In the conditions of market economy, regions need to look at the other competitive regions
not like at enemies to fight with, but like at partners, who are worth establishing relationships
with. Widely understood cooperation based on partnership is not a new phenomenon, but
unfortunately the role of cooperation is often underestimated by Polish self-governments, because
they don’t treat each other like partners aiming at the realization of cohesive goals. Selfgovernment should treat developing and enhancing cooperation as significant activities which are
intent on stimulating the economy, on reaching potential capital partners with an investment offer,
on attracting tourists and other recipients. Cooperation is required in applying for European funds.
To be effective the cooperation must result from the good will, will of cooperation of each of
future partners, not from compulsion or necessity. The aim of the article is presenting and
underlining the meaning of partnership in increasing of regions competitiveness and in their
further development.
The core of partnership
Partnership is a specific example of cooperation based on trust, tolerance, involvement,
solidarity, liability, autonomy, mutually profitable cooperation. J. Witkowski considers
partnership as a form of economic relations between entities based on trust, share of the risk and
profits that lead to gaining additional synergic effects and competitive advantages 1. According to
P. Cheverton partnership between an organization and customers (in this case key customers) can
be presented as advanced, but not the higher, stage in the development of mutual relations2.
Partnership should not be closed for new partners, but should be open for new ones, that could
contribute some value, significant from the point of view of further development and emerging
needs. Partners could be persons or organizations, which cooperate in realization of mutually
1
J. Witkowski: Zarządzanie łańcuchem dostaw. Koncepcje, procedury, doświadczenia.
PWE, Warszawa 2003, p. 34.
2
Comp. P. Cheverton: Zarządzanie kluczowymi klientami. Oficyna Ekonomiczna, Kraków
2001.
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Agnieszka Smalec
favorable enterprises, which in the long term lead to the success of all involved parties 3. The
relationship between an organization and its associates is defined as chain of partnership. It is a
tool of partner marketing used in full relation programs comprising: service, loyalty program,
individualization, prize system and building the society of cooperants 4. The value chain is one of
the main tools of the identification of the way of value increase for client. An organization
concentrated on forming desirable relations creates a unique system of partnerships comprising
clients, agents, service institutions (financial, consulting, etc.), namely entities which are specific,
have different preferences, needs and goals. Such relations often constitute durable, long-term
relationships between an organization and its clients (or other interested parties) based on the
information exchange, mutual trust and sharing joint benefits5.
Partnership is effective when all parties are involved. M. Saunders indicates that success of
partnership requires: frequent communication, both formal and informal; will for cooperation;
trust between parties; open information; multidisciplinary involvement6. It also requires
imagination and empathy to understand what partner feels and needs at the particular moment.
Partnership allows to change from thinking in the categories of competition and conflict to
thinking in categories of mutual dependence and cooperation, through:
- paying attention to the partners and clients rather than to products,
- sustaining and developing clients rather than gaining new ones,
- working in interfunctional teams rather than within particular departments 7.
Considering motives of involving in partnerships, goals and time of their realization, there
can be differed strategic and operational partnership. Strategic partnership means cooperation
between two or more parties in order to use their best assets. Property is not assigned in this
situation because synergy of assets and decrease in costs relate exclusively from cooperation. It is
a form of inter-companies strategies realization for at least two partners, which keep an autonomy
and stay independent within the scope of actions not covered by the cooperation agreement 8. Due
to the partnership, the positions of both parties are strengthened in a long term. Relations based on
strategic partnerships ensure their long time duration, involvement and supplementing each other,
completing partner’s possibilities through adjusting abilities, resources, technologies and actions9.
Trust is crucial here because a lack of trust of one party leads to the lack of trust of another what
3
A. Modrzejewska: W poszukiwaniu prawdziwego partnerstwa w relacjach z klientami.
http://www.achieveglobal.com.pl.
4
Further reading: B. Tarczydło: Łańcuch partnerstwa w zarządzaniu relacjami z
kooperantami. „Zagadnienia Techniczno-Ekonomiczne” 2003, tom 48, vol. 4, p. 1255, or Ph.
Kotler, G. Armstrong, J. Saunders, V. Wong: Marketing. Podręcznik europejski. PWE, Warszawa
2002, pp. 525-526.
5
E. Rudawska: Lojalność klientów. PWE, Warszawa 2005, p. 168.
6
C. Black, A. Akintoye, E. Fitzgerald: An analysis of success factors and benefits of
partnering in construction. „International Journal of Project Management” 2000, No. 18, p. 423.
7
Ph. Kotler: Marketing od A do Z. PWE, Warszawa 2004, pp. 105-106.
8
A. Sulejewicz: Partnerstwo strategiczne. Modelowanie współpracy przedsiębiorstw.
Monografie i Opracowania nr 427, Wydawnictwo SGH, Warszawa 1997, p. 72.
9
A. Pluta-Zaremba: Wpływ handlu elektronicznego na budowanie długookresowych relacji
partnerskich między podmiotami gospodarczymi. In: Systemy zarządzania wiedzą i innowacją w
polskich przedsiębiorstwach (w warunkach wejścia do UE). A. Sosnowska (ed.). Wydawnictwo
SGH, Warszawa 2004, p. 97.
The meaning of partnership…
59
has effect in a decrease of mutual commitment often resulting in shortening the time of
cooperation10.
Operational partnership most frequently refers to: realization of joint project, mutual
supplementing of resources, transfer of knowledge including technology, conducting joint actions
in particular field. This type of partnership often results from the necessity and refers to shortterm relations11. Partners involved in operational partnerships, first of all seek for the
improvement of their position in operational efficiency.
In partnership, a common aim is a decrease of total costs and an increase in value, which is
a share of involved companies. Partnership should be built considering following rules 12:
- awareness of common benefits is essential,
- partner agreement should be planned as long-time,
- problems solving is a team work
- sharing knowledge,
- free communication occurs,
- mutual trust and willingness for compromises,
- mechanism of conflict solving is essential,
- the conditions of changing partnership rules, implementing changes and dissolution are
clearly defined.
Partnership can also be considered due to, inter alia a spatial range of impact, a number and
variety of involved partners (from two entities to multi-level structures), an organizational
structure and a degree of hierarhization (from informal structures to the formalized ones), a legal
form, roles played in region, a sort of involved economic sector (public partnership, private or
public-private partnership). Partnership is a dynamic category because it exists as a result of
development, as a result of differing and modifying entities’ cooperation forms – from
preliminary forms to proper, developed and mature partnership13. Partnership on the market is a
quite new philosophy of cooperation, based on partners’ striving for gaining important common
strategic goal like relatively durable effective understanding, creating and supplying values for
final markets.
Partnership in region management
The idea of partnership plays more and more significant role in strategies of regional
development. Partnership in regions should consist in sharing knowledge, free communication,
solving problems in a team way or defining clear rules of cooperation. Entities in partner relations
should be convinced that they invest in a creation of a new value bringing benefits to all parties,
inter alia innovative, economic or infrastructural. Long-term relations bring much more benefits
than single, occasional meetings. Regions should take up cooperation in order to involve the
10
A. Sagan, J. Światowiec: Regionalny wymiar kształtowania zaufania w relacjach
nabywca-dostawca na rynkach przemysłowych. In: Partnerstwo w regionie. J. Karwowski (ed.).
PTE, Szczecin 2004, p. 458.
11
J.T. Mentzer, S. Min, Z.G. Zacharia: The nature of interfirm partnering in supply chain
management. „Journal of Retailing”, vol. 76, No. 4, 2000, p. 550.
12
I.H. Gordon: Relacje z klientem. Marketing partnerski. PWE, Warszawa 2001, p. 322.
13
A. Szromnik: Marketing terytorialny. Miasto i region na rynku. Wyd. Wolters Kluwer
Polska, Kraków 2007, p. 149.
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Agnieszka Smalec
larger number of entities in joint development. An increase in meaning of partnership
significantly results from, inter alia opportunity of costs decrease, an increase in marketing
effectiveness, an increase in impact on recipients. Developing potential of region lies also in
resources, ability of their effective utilization and activeness of local society and economic
entities. Partnership is a cooperation of different entities in different range and different scale
aiming at region’s development which is treated as a chance for own enterprise development.
Partners also realize synergy effect resulting from cooperation.
Competitive advantage is obtained by regions which are able to built partnership with all
entities in their neighborhood, which contribute to creation and development of relations with
clients14. Effectiveness in building partnership is determined by the quality of prepared concepts
and reliability in their implementation. Figure 1 presents the main fields of building partnership in
a region.
Figure 1. Areas of building partnership in a region
Source: H. Mruk: Uwarunkowania marketingu partnerskiego w regionie. In: Lokalne układy partnerskie.
J. Karwowski (ed.). PTE, Szczecin 2004, p. 274.
Strong feedbacks occur between areas presented in the Figure 1. The areas penetrate each
other. Involving as many entities as possible in the process of partnership realization in a region
makes that partnership becomes cement linking all regions. Region’s authorities can influence
socio-economic development by encouraging partners to particular behaviors and cooperation.
A concept of public governance15, referred to territorial self-governments as a key factor of
region’s development, indicates local/regional partnership. It should be underlined that
partnership is not only a realization of certain projects but it also perform educational and
14
I.H. Gordon: Relacje z klientem…, op.cit., p. 24.
G.A. Boyne: Sources of Public Service Improvement: A Critical Review and Research
Agenda. „Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory” 2003, No. 13 (3).
15
The meaning of partnership…
61
diagnostic function. Thanks to the partnership, partners obtain new opportunities of social
development16.
One of the best strategic options for regions, especially in the situation when most markets
are in a mature stage (when is a small number of purchasers and gaining the new ones is getting
harder and more expensive) is creating partner relations during constant cooperation with
recipients in order to look for the possibilities of providing them with the biggest value 17. The
main objectives of relationship marketing are: directness and complexity of contacts, variety of
connections and purchasers portfolio management18. Partnership concept assumes taking up
activities by self-governments, which aim at creation of durable, cost effective relations with
clients, leading to mutual benefits19. In this concept direct contacts constitute a significant
determiner of market success and they are considered as a long-term process of mutual
connections building20. It can be stated that the concept of partnership penetrates the whole
process of local development, which augurs a prosperity.
Using directional orientations of regions’ partnership can be presented a matrix, which
contains possible strategies of territorial partnership including21:
- “Complete happiness” – settling unit is orientated both outside and inside; it is a
developed partnership,
- “Looking beyond the suburbs” – stress put on outer partnership, development chances
are expected in gaining proper factors from outer sources (e.g. other regions), inner
contacts are underestimated and often omitted,
- “Head in the sand” – partnership is directed to the inner relations; often meetings, visits,
joint programs of problems solving, joint events etc. with inner entities,
- “Big mistake” – lack of decided partnership profile, namely such layout of connections
with recipients where no preferences are accented; partner approach can be noticed in a
few areas.
Outer
partnership
orientation
Inner partnership orientation
Weak
Strong
Strong
“Looking beyond the suburbs”
“Complete happiness”
Weak
„Big mistake”
“Head in the sand”
Figure 2. Matrix of regional partnership strategy
Source: A. Szromnik: Marketing…, op.cit., p. 159.
16
M. Orłowska-Bednarz: Partnerstwo publiczno-prawne a formy współpracy
międzygminnej. In: Lokalne układy partnerskie…, op.cit., p. 62.
17
Ph. Kotler, G. Armstrong, J. Saunders, V. Wong: Marketing. Podręcznik…, op.cit., p. 530.
18
K. Fonfara: Marketing partnerski na rynku przedsiębiorstw. PWE, Warszawa 2004,
pp. 59–118.
19
K. Przybyłowski, S.W. Hartley, R.A. Kerin, W. Rudelius: Marketing. Dom Wydawniczy
ABC, Warszawa 1998, p. 230.
20
K. Fonfara: Marketing partnerski …, op.cit., p. 63.
21
A. Szromnik: Marketing…, op.cit., pp. 159-160.
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Agnieszka Smalec
Partnership in region, namely cooperation between self-government units, between selfgovernment and regional market entities, between companies, should be treated as a specific
determiner of development. Creating partner relations in region should be understood as a
dynamic and correlative process. Partner relations consist in sustaining formal and informal
contacts on the basis of business or emotional bonds22. These relations require a constant care for
unity, equal, tolerance toward partner, joint progress in cooperation. Beside partners’ mentality,
some features of people character involved in cooperation on partnership basis favor:
independence, creativity, entrepreneurship23. It should be noticed that self-government is
responsible for all issues related to the current and future needs of its society. Self government
predicts directions of development and tries to prevent obstacles. It should also favor cooperation
between public and private sector and inhabitants on the basis of partnership in order to settle
priorities of development and standards of provided services, minding the condition of budget 24.
The rule of partnership is considered in the European Union as a basic value in forming
conditions for an increase in social and institutional democracy and in creation of civil society 25.
Cooperation on the basis of partnership should be applied on every stage of realization of
European regional policy. Four aspects of added value emerging from the partnerships in EU’s
regions26 can be pointed out:
- increase of partners’ involvement and treating results of taken up joint activities as own
ones,
- change of character of decision process referring to region development from political
to social,
- development of institutional potential, which influences regional development,
- improvement of planning and procedures implemented in public administration
responsible for structural funds management.
In practice, partnership comprises actions from consulting strategy of region’s development
with partners, namely planning, through implementing (appointing , inter alia, panels of experts,
steering committees) to monitoring. Partner relations are based on thorough diagnosis of existing
relations with main groups of reference as direct or indirect providers of territorial units’
development factors27. A wide application of partnership rules is going to be seen in a few years,
nevertheless some positive effects of using structural funds influencing region’s development are
currently also visible.
22
A. Burlita, M. Soboń: Uwarunkowania występowania partnerskich związków w regionie.
In: Partnerstwo…, op.cit., p. 409.
23
Z. Kędzior: Zakres i formy współpracy samorządów terytorialnych z podmiotami
gospodarczymi. In: Marketing w rozwoju regionu. J. Karwowski (ed.). Uniwersytet Szczeciński,
Szczecin 2002, p. 253.
24
A. Wasiak: Partnerstwo publiczno-prawne w rozwoju lokalnym i regionalnym. Szansa czy
zagrożenie? In: Gospodarka lokalna i regionalna w teorii i praktyce. D. Strahl (ed.). Prace
Naukowe Akademii Ekonomicznej we Wrocławiu, Wrocław 2007, p. 131.
25
M. Grewiński, K. Malinowski: Europejski Fundusz Socjalny i rynek pracy w UE. Wyd.
Elipsa, Warszawa 1999, p. 124.
26
Further reading: European Commission. Partnership in the 2000-2006 programming
period – Analysis of the Implemention of the Partnerski Principle. November 2005.
www.europa.eu.int.
27
A. Szromnik: Marketing…, op.cit., p. 160.
The meaning of partnership…
63
Summary
Transitions in Polish administrative system and economic transformation of selfgovernment units cause a necessity of treating them like companies operating in strong
connection with market. In order to operate more effectively, regions should cooperate with other
entities on the partnership basis. Partnership aims at comprehensive development, especially in
the field of nature protection, joint cultural, sport and touristic actions and at self-governments’
experiences exchange. It simply contributes to faster and more effective development of particular
region. Partnership in region management becomes a necessity and local government’s
responsibility. Authorities, which are able to implement partner relations effectively, will achieve
desired effects. It should be underlined, that partnership is not a constant value, created once and
for ever. It should be cared for.
ZNACZENIE PARTNERSTWA W ZARZĄDZANIU REGIONEM
Streszczenie
W artykule przybliżono zagadnienia dotyczące partnerstwa i jego obszarów w zarządzaniu
regionem. Partnerstwo odgrywa bowiem coraz większą rolę w zdobywaniu przewagi
konkurencyjnej. Partnerstwo to współpraca różnych podmiotów w różnym zakresie i różnej skali
na rzecz rozwoju regionu, która przynosi obustronne korzyści. Tworzenie relacji partnerskich
w regionie to proces dynamiczny i współzależny. Staje się koniecznością, gdyż przyczynia się do
szybszego i efektywniejszego rozwoju danego regionu. Trzeba jednak stale o nie dbać, gdyż nie
jest ono ukształtowane raz na zawsze.